An Interesting Employment
by ClassicCeleste
Summary: Niklaus Mikaelson is one of the richest businessmen in all of England. When Caroline, an American graduate student, needs some extra cash to spend on her year abroad, she answers a housekeeping ad for an estate in the countryside. AH/AU
1. Death by Diamonds and Pearls

**Niklaus Mikaelson is one of the richest businessmen in all of England. When Caroline, an American graduate student, needs some extra cash to spend on her year abroad, she answers a housekeeping ad for an estate in the countryside. After all, who wouldn't want to air a millionaire's dirty laundry? AH/AU**

Chapter One: Death by Diamonds and Pearls

Caroline Forbes sighed, pulling her too-thin scarf tighter around her neck as she tried to avoid the middle-aged vagrant with whom she shared a bench. Even after two months of staying in London, Caroline still hadn't gotten used to the chill of English air.

Her best friend since elementary school, Elena Gilbert, who she'd been boarding in Oxford, had been living in the UK for over two and a half years now. _Lucky, lucky Elena, _thought Caroline bitterly. Her friend had had everything handed to her in life: perfect parents, perfect boyfriend, perfect gap-year-in-which-she-met-the-man-of-her-dreams.

It's not like Caroline was still bitter or anything.

The car she'd ordered earlier pulled up to the curb and Caroline was quick to flee the frigid bench and slide behind the glass partition separating her from the driver. Caroline fiddled with the air dials in the back of the car, getting the heat blasting onto her chilled fingers.

It was never this cold in Virginia, where she grew up, but her New York college had known some chilly days. Caroline was on a study-abroad program, or at least that's what she liked to tell herself. Yes, the college had sponsored part of her trip, travel expenses mostly, but the truth was that Caroline had run out of money. She no longer had the funds to keep a full course load at her university.

Her solution? Escape.

She shook her head now, thinking back. When her socio-economics professor told her that traveling abroad would be a good year to take for herself in order to write her senior thesis, Caroline had been so bored that she'd listened.

The first two months had gone well. She'd stayed rent-free with Elena and her live-in boyfriend Matt, but their flat had given Caroline the sense that she was encroaching. She needed new living space, and she needed a job to go with it.

The English countryside whizzed by, the dull greys of the cities turning slowly into the brown stucco of the suburbs and then finally, to the wet green of Britain. Caroline relaxed in the seat, trying not to think about the moment when she would have to hand over her last forty pounds for this car ride.

When it came down to it, Caroline was broke. It wasn't something that she was unfamiliar with, but living in England had drained her resources even more than she'd imagined. That very morning, she'd been sitting in a café, sipping what she was sure was to be her last doppio, when she'd glanced up to see an advertisement posted to a tack board on the wall.

_HELP WANTED_

_Live in Housekeeper to tend estate. _

_Address and details provided upon inquiry._

_Must be respectful of boundaries, good with dogs, horses. _

_Must have full mental and physical health. _

_Contact __07129__665314 between the hours of 8 and 11am.* _

Caroline had scrambled, grabbed her mobile from her bag, and called up the ad at 10:50 in the morning. She'd made an interview appointment with a very stern-sounding secretary named Elise who'd assured her that Mr. Mikaelson would be awaiting her at his estate tomorrow at 11:30 am sharp.

She glanced at her cell phone again, tap-tap-tapping her foot against the car door. It was 10:13, and as far as she could tell, they weren't anywhere close to civilization. She glanced outside the window, met only with the side of the road flying by.

She tapped on the partition. "Any chance we're almost there?"

Her elderly driver turned around to face her. "Not to worry, bonny of mine, we're only thirty minutes out now." The old man smiled and Caroline sat back down, trying not to let her anxiety show. There was nothing she hated more than being late.

The occasional building turned into more and more clusters of civilization, and before she knew it, Caroline and the car were traveling in between small little towns along the roadside. Glimpses of children playing in their yards flew by Caroline. She'd see a market, a flash of a main street. Fields upon fields of undulating grass.

Before long, a sprinkle of rain began to fall on the windshield of the car. The wipers pulsed back and forth, slowly at first, but then with increasing speed as the rain thickened.

"Ahem." Caroline coughed, yet again tapping on the partition. "How much longer?"

"Not a bit yet, darling girl, and I'll have gone as far as I can take you!" The old man spoke cheerily, despite the downpour.

Caroline's eyes widened. "As far as you can take me?"

"Aye, lassie. The Mikaelson place is too steep up a hill for this old gal to climb!" The driver patted the dashboard of the old car like it was a long-lost friend.

_Just great._ Caroline thought. _I'll have to walk up a hill. Now I'll definitely be late._ A tremendous crash of thunder split the sky, and Caroline jumped.

"Not to worry though, miss." The old man continued as he turned the car onto a long driveway. "I have an umbrella that you can borrow. I keep it in the car for days such as these."

Caroline closed her eyes, and tried to recall every breathing exercise she'd learned in her yoga classes. Her watch read 10:56… So much for being fashionably early. She vainly hoped that this Mr. Mikaelson fellow wouldn't hate her on sight for being late, but she slowly began to lose hope.

The car turned a corner, and Caroline immediately saw why the old man had not wanted to risk his life's work attempting the drive. The packed gravel driveway that she saw was not only steep, but a corkscrew of neglected potholes and vegetation.

The old man stopped the car at the bottom of the drive and turned around in his seat. The partition slid open, and Caroline reluctantly traded her money for an umbrella that looked to be older than she was.

A gust of wind rattled through her when the old man opened his door to retrieve her bag from the trunk. Caroline pulled her scarf even tighter, trying to blot out the cold. _You are strong. You are stoic. Oh, who the hell am I kidding?_ Caroline ceased her mental dialogue and dashed out into the rain, umbrella first.

"Thank you for the ride!" She turned to the old man. "It was… nice."

He grinned at her, already halfway inside his car. "You don't have to lie, dearie. Good luck!" And with that, the old man sped off, leaving only a bedraggled, half-soaked Caroline in his wake.

She checked her watch. 11:07. Shrugging her bag over her shoulders and pulling on gloves, Caroline began to trek up the intimidating drive to the outline of a house that was barely visible in the deluge.

Three steps in, and Caroline realized that she should've worn better shoes. The fresh mud was quick to find holes in her ballet flats, worming its way between her toes instantly. The rain, although unfortunate for her, seemed to be a gift to all of the plants on the drive. She couldn't move without bumping into a leaf that was all too eager to dump rain puddles on her.

The comfortable leggings that had seemed so practical to her that morning were now soaked and clung moistly to her legs like a second skin. Blue button-down shirt, camisole, socks, and even her bra were all sodden, sopping piles of fabric.

Halfway up, Caroline decided to throw the umbrella to the side. The holes it had had in it ensured that her hair was already hanging in damp rivulets, so why bother? She tucked her bag into the little shelter her chest provided and trudged on, stuffed her hands into her armpits, only thankful that it wasn't windy.

_Why would anyone want to live up here?_ Caroline thought to herself. She began to curse the very name Mikaelson as she continued her sodden trek around what appeared to be the last corner of the drive.

The estate, when she first saw it, would have taken her breath away if she hadn't been shivering so hard. She stood still for a moment, appreciating the fine lines of the large manor in front of her.

The faded off-white of the building in front of her screamed of aged grandeur. Sweeping lines made up the architecture of the manor, and high turreted wings cut an impressive skyline against the cloudy sky. Caroline found herself wandering closer to the manor, steps hesitant as her eyes widened to take it all in.

_How am I supposed to take care of this house by myself? _She thought in wonder. _It's huge!_ The young blonde glanced down at her watch again and groaned in distaste. It was 11:35, and she looked like she had been dragged behind a bus into the Thames.

Caroline tread on heavy feet up to the fifteen-foot doors that she saw at the front of the house, trying to half-heartedly straighten all of her clothes. She sighed as she reached the porch; she looked like a drowned rat and she knew it. _So much for a good first impression._

The girl raised her hand to a sturdy brass knocker that looked as if it was from the Victorian Era and pounded it against the door, resigning herself to a long hitchhike back home.

She waited. Ten seconds, nothing. Caroline shifted her feet uncomfortably, trying to ignore the squishing sounds that they made against the steps. She knocked again, letting the knocker fall even harder on the wood. She glanced at her watch, 11:41.

Growing annoyed by the second, Caroline raised a determined fist to the door. She knocked once, twice, three times, and then finally heard a male voice calling out from the inside.

"One second!" The accented tone said. She could hear footsteps approaching the door, and a great thud, as if he had dropped something. "Hell, you're late anyways; I don't think waiting a couple minutes longer would…"

The voice broke off as the door opened revealing Caroline's damp and miserable state. A flush rose to her cheeks as she took in the gorgeous young man in the doorway.

_Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me._

XXX

Niklaus Mikaelson had seen some unexpected things in his life, but opening his front door to a beautiful, raid-drenched, and from her expression heavily irritated, young woman took the proverbial cake.

The girl, the one he assumed was late for her interview, was standing in front of looking like she'd just been dragged out of the ocean. Her bedraggled clothes hung from what he admired as an attractive frame.

In all honesty, Klaus had been so distracted with his work that he hadn't even realized it was raining.

"Are you going to let me in, or what?" The girl demanded sharply. He smiled, her American accent meeting his ears.

"Of course, love. Try not to drip on the foyer."

She shot him an indignant look, but he couldn't help but see the small quirk of her lips at his statement. "It's Caroline."

Klaus nodded. "Caroline Forbes, I know. You're late." Klaus ran a hand through his curled hair. "And sopping."

Her lips, a pale blue from the cold pursed. "It's not my fault that you live up in the middle of nowhere."

Klaus chuckled. "No, it's not. But that murderous look makes me assume that you believe it's my fault that Mother Nature enacted her revenge upon you."

"Do you have anywhere that I can dry off?"

Klaus nodded, rolling with her change of subject. "Of course. But be a doll and take off your shoes first, I don't want you tracking mud across my house."

Caroline glared at him, but obliged, following. They stopped outside a large bathroom. The tub was the size of the hottub she'd had in high school, and the appliances were all black and gold, giving it a rustic charm.

"Towels in the cabinet, love. Take your time." And with that, Klaus left, leaving her to her own devices.

Caroline quickly shut the door and stripped, toweling off all of the skin that she was certain would never feel warmth again. She ran the hot water from the sink and moaned when it touched her hands. Never again would she take warm water for granted.

Hearing footsteps from what could only be Niklaus moving around upstairs, Caroline grinned into the mirror. Chances are she wouldn't get this job anyways, who was to begrudge her from taking a quick shower?

Within minutes, Caroline had the faucets off and the showerhead pouring water onto her frozen back. _I could definitely get used to this,_ she thought, watching the steam fog up the full-length mirrors on the wall.

Upstairs, Klaus was rummaging through his sister's closet, trying to find things for Caroline to wear. The clothes she'd had on definitely weren't going to be dry anytime soon, it was the least he could do.

Or at least that's what he told himself. Nik refused to believe that he was being kind just because she was a beautiful young woman. He heard the shower come on downstairs and smirked. If he was a betting man, he would've wagered she'd use it. He'd seen her eyes light up at the sight.

Nik managed to grab a cotton vee neck tee and some yoga pants from his sister's closet and went back downstairs. He figured that those were safer, stretchier options than trying to guess her size.

As he made his way down the hall, Nik paused outside the bathroom door. He could hear Caroline singing and humming softly to herself, and the squeak of her feet dancing against the tiles. The sound of the water ceased, and Klaus knocked on the door gently.

"Caroline?"

She broke off her singing at the sound of his voice, cheeks growing red with embarrassment. "Ahh, yes?"

Klaus smirked at her squeak of surprise. "I've got some clothes here for you." Silence. Nik palmed his forehead in regret for how odd that had probably sounded. "If you want them, that is. I wouldn't want to wear wet clothes; I assume you feel the same?"

Caroline groaned to herself and looked at the indistinguishable pile of dripping fabric on the floor. _He keeps female clothes around? _She thought to herself. _Of course he would, _her more devious side realized. _Have you seen the man?_

It was true. Caroline had been immensely startled when the door to the estate had opened and behind it lay a very young, very handsome, very accented Mr. Mikaelson. The man was devilishly attractive, with curling dirty-gold hair and blue eyes.

She wasn't saying she'd checked out the rest of him as he'd led her to the bathroom earlier, but she wasn't denying it either.

Outside, Klaus was surprised when she reached a hand through and yanked the clothes out of his hands, closing the door again just as fast.

"Easy there, love." He warned. "Wouldn't want you to rip my hand off."

Caroline rolled her eyes on the other side of the door, and had to bite off an inflammatory remark. The man might be her boss for god's sake, she should be civil.

When Caroline was done pulling the clothing over her head and shaking her hair out, she sighed at her reflection in the mirror. She'd looked worse, but barely. _At least whatever woman he's been keeping these clothes for has good taste in comfort._ The yogas and shirt fit her nicely, and Caroline was warm enough.

She opened the door, to find her would-be employer lounging against the wall across from the hallway. He clapped his hands together as she emerged.

"Perfect. Shall we proceed then?" He asked. "If memory serves me, you came here for an interview, not just to make generous use of my shower."

Caroline smiled despite herself, following him into another room of the house, where a desk and some paperwork dominated the space.

The man gestured at the chair across from his desk where he proceeded to take a seat.

Caroline sat down, uncomfortably looking anywhere but at Mr. Mikaelson. She realized how odd their situation was now. In her life, she'd never been as forward with anyone as she had been in the last twenty minutes. _You've only just met the man, yet you've already been naked in his bathroom? Stupid, stupid Caroline._ She studiously looked away from him, trying not to blush at the feeling of his eyes on her.

Eventually though the silence, too thick for the usually chatty Caroline Forbes had to be broken.

"So.. Thank you." She finally got out. "For letting me use your bathroom. And the clothes, I guess."

Klaus smiled at her. "You're welcome. I'm sure Rebekah will be pleased that someone finally wore those."

Caroline looked around for pictures on the wall. Surely, he had people in his life, but she couldn't find proof of them anywhere. He must have a girlfriend; why else would he keep women's clothing about. Rebekah. She rolled the name around in her head, trying to picture the type of woman it was attached to.

"So how did you find out about this job, Caroline?"

The blonde tore her thoughts away from the unknown woman and let out a sigh of relief that they were talking. "Um, a coffee shop in Aylesbury, actually."

"Ah I see." Klaus pulled out a clipboard and pen and began putting something down on paper. "I told old Elise that advertising in cities was a good idea, you know."

Caroline gave him a polite smile, trying not to let the deadly curiosity she felt about what he was writing show on her face. "Well, it worked, because here I am!"

Klaus looked up into her eyes at her overly-excited tone. "Yes," he smirked, amusement hidden somewhere deep in his voice. "Here you are."

He went back to his clipboard. "And why do you think that you are qualified for the job?"

"I met all of the requirements for your ad. I'm capable of housekeeping. I love dogs and horses…" Caroline broke off, not wanting to admit how dire her financial situation was.

"And…?" Klaus prompted. "What's on your mind?"

Caroline sighed, looking up at him. "I need the money."

Klaus nodded, and moved his hand more frantically on the page for some time.

"Well then, Caroline." Klaus stated. "How would you like to be paid?"

Caroline gave a start. "Really? You don't even know me, how do you know I'm not some serial killer?"

Nik gave her a petulant glance. "For one, any serial killer worth their salt would have unusual behavior, and unless you count humming in the shower, you check out clean."

Caroline fought to keep the blush off of her face. She knew he'd heard.

"And two," Klaus continued with a softer expression. "You've said it yourself. You need the money, and I, sweet Caroline, need a housekeeper. I can hardly run this estate by myself, look at it."

She blushed at his term of endearment, but nodded. The house was indeed huge. Caroline agreed with him.

"As for three, I've had no other applicants. Don't take that as an insult, love, I just have a hard trouble reaching out to potential employees."

"And lastly." Klaus paused for a breath of air. "As for not knowing you, I'd almost rather prefer it that way. I don't like people, Caroline, unless I'm doing business with them. Hell, I live in an isolated estate in the countryside."

"I know. I had the pleasure of walking up your driveway." She shot back jokingly.

Klaus smiled at her comment, and continued, setting the clip board face-down on the desk. "I'd noticed. What I need, love, is someone who will look after this house. Someone who can look after me, and make sure I don't bore myself to death with work. Someone who can do all of the domestic things that I don't have time for and someone who it won't bother me to be around. Can you do that for me, Caroline?"

His blue eyes bore into hers hopefully, and Caroline felt herself growing warm. He really was stunning, albeit a bit odd in his mannerisms. The dark purple Henley that he wore only complimented his features, and the necklaces poking out around his neck intrigued her immensely. _How do they feel?_ She wondered, mentally picturing herself picking one up off his neck and rolling the beads around in her palm.

Caroline shook herself out of it before answering his question.

"Yes." She replied strongly. "I can do it."

A grin cracked his face, and she observed his perfect teeth for the first time. Klaus walked around the desk to her side of the table and held out his hand.

"Well then, Caroline Forbes, allow me to formally make your acquaintance as your employer. Congratulations."

She held out her hand to meet his. _Christ._ Maybe it was the effect of her left-over dousing, but his skin burned with hers like slow-burning coals. His calloused fingers held hers in a strong but surprisingly gentle shake, and when his thumb began to draw unintentional circles against the back of her hand, Caroline's eyes flicked up to his with surprise.

The blue eyes she'd seen earlier had darkened, and his lips, full from a distance, drew her gaze, nearly as soft and appealing as the golden stubble that dusted the planes of his cheeks. His brow furrowed in speculation as they held contact, as if she puzzled him. _Pull it together, Caroline._

"Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson." She shook formally, voice weak, and then dropped his hand as if it had burned her, trying not to let it show on her face.

He smiled, curiously examining the blonde and the flush on her cheeks, not unaffected by their moment himself. "Please, love. Call me Klaus." His voice was thick, even to his ears.

Caroline nodded.

Klaus turned to walk out to the kitchen, calling over his shoulder as he went. "Would you like some tea? Wouldn't want you to catch a chill, now would we?"

Caroline nodded, torn between following after him and picking up the clipboard he'd left on his desk. _Another day,_ she told herself, and followed her new employer into the kitchen.

Klaus smiled as he heard her follow him, and set the teapot onto a hot burner. "English Breakfast, or Earl Grey?" He asked, as the blonde walked in the doorway. She was beautiful. Her hair, drying now, was curling into gentle waves around her face. Her blue eyes met his, and he was once again struck with the tug of her allure.

He tried to keep his eyes up, but the man in him couldn't help when they dipped a bit, admiring her form in those damned tight black pants. He would have to be careful. The last thing he needed was complications in his life, especially of the female variety.

"English Breakfast," Caroline answered, as she sat at one of the stools at the counter.

He nodded in agreement, busying himself with the tea. This would be a very interesting employment. A very interesting employment indeed.

**A/N So, how'd I do? I hope everyone liked it, or at least didn't hate it. I've decided to write AU, mostly because canon is too difficult while the show is running. And this is just so much more entertaining, no? I'm trying to prewrite these chapters, so that I don't fall behind. Let me know if you liked it, or if there's anything you'd like to say, comments you'd love to make. Thank you!**

***I'm not English. Unfortunately, that made me really unaware of how to format telephone numbers, but when I looked it up, I was assured the format for mobile phones is 07xxx xxxxxx. So let me know if I was wrong, I'll gladly accept the criticism. **

**** Again, not English, but I've been looking at pictures of estates, and I took inspiration for Klaus's house mainly from the Mentmore Towers, more commonly seen as Wayne Manor in Batman Begins. Sorry for any discrepancies. **


	2. Hillside Ballroom

**A/N: A huge thank you to everyone that reviewed, favorited, followed, etc. I'm glad that you liked it. **

**In reply to 29: I didn't mention their specific location because never having been to the UK, I didn't want to pin down a specific spot and then sound ridiculous if I made mistakes that anyone who **_**has**_** been there would recognize! But thank you for having me clarify! **

**A thank you to Lily Knighte too, for the compliment on my title. And don't worry, I love puns ;) **

Chapter 2: Hillside Ballroom

"The one thing you can't fault the Victorians on was their ability to recreate old architecture." Klaus was saying as he led a curious Caroline around in a tour of the house.

Caroline nodded, switching her teacup from hand to hand. "It's beautiful." The blonde stated. "Like something out of a Bond movie."

Klaus turned around to face her with an amused look on his face. "Shaken, not stirred."

Caroline chuckled at his broad reference, and busied herself with the décor and artwork on the walls. Even the little stylized flourishes on the wooden trim of the house were deliberate and beautiful. From the ceiling to the swirling, artistic tile patterns on the floor, the house was gorgeous. _And huge,_ she thought.

Klaus had walked ahead of her and was waiting at the door, looking back at his new employee. As Caroline was to be his housekeeper, it was only logical that she got a tour of her new dwelling.

"This is the Amber Room," Klaus said as he pushed the door open. True to its name, the room was made using only shades of delicate orange-gold. The monochromatic amber wall paper overwhelmed her, and she was startled by the stones set into the lamps. They looked, and probably were, real.

"The original owners of the house were incredibly rich." Klaus stated. "'Why not have an entirely amber room if you wanted one?"

Caroline was still looking around, glancing out the windows and onto one of the massive lawns that surrounded the estate. "Why amber, though?" She asked jokingly. "Why not a nice green?"

"There's a Green Drawing Room, love." He stated with all seriousness.

"No! You're joking!" Caroline laughed. "Why would you need that?"

Klaus gestured for him to follow her through one of the doors that led to other rooms. He held the door open for her, and Caroline pretended she couldn't feel his fingers brush gently across her lower back as he guided her through.

Klaus carried on, unaware of Caroline's internal struggle. Sure enough, the next door that they passed under led to a room entirely outfitted in green, although this one wasn't nearly as garish as the amber. Couches and lamps made up most of the space, allowing little room to stop and look about.

"Do you have any rooms that aren't colour-coordinated?"

Klaus grinned, and led her through yet another doorway. Caroline had to stop and catch her breath at what lay beyond it.

"The Grand Staircase." Klaus said proudly. "To the left is the main foyer, where your rain-puddle still surely resides. To the right is the library. According to my realtor, the stairs took four months and twelve men to build."

"What's upstairs?" Caroline was already on the third step, her hand hovering over the gorgeously carved mahogany beam. The stairs themselves were white, and followed the four walls of the room up to the second floor, making two large, lazy circles. They were brilliant.

"Bedrooms, minor study, a bathroom or two. Oh and a sunroom." Klaus answered her question following the blonde as Caroline began to ascend.

"A sunroom?" She called back at him.

Klaus caught up with her, his longer legs lending him a hand. "Yes. It's made up of glass. Fantastic for watching the sunset, but you can see the stars on a clear night too."

"It sounds amazing."

He smiled at her genuine comment. The more he talked to Caroline, the more he realized they had in common.

The pair reached the top of the stairs, and Caroline couldn't help but look down from where they'd come. "I've only ever lived in one-story houses," she told him regretfully.

A long hallway with doors on either side stretched out ahead of them, and Klaus was sure to point out each as they went by. "Guest room, guest room, drawing room, bathroom…" his voice rattled off.

"What about this one?" Caroline asked, pointing at a doorway he'd forgot to mention.

"Storage from my past houses. Didn't think it was important," he said with a smile.

The pair kept walking. "My room is the one at the very end of the hall, but this one here across from the bath is yours." Klaus said, pulling an old fashioned key out of his pocket and inserting it into the lock.

The door swung open, and he handed her key over, ignoring the way that her skin brushed languidly against his. "Congratulations."

Caroline took a breath to prepare herself, and then pushed into the room. It was bigger than the one she had shared at Elena's flat, that was for sure. Four white walls surrounded them, and Caroline glanced in relief at the dark, hardwood floor. She hated carpet.

A queen-sized four poster blanketed in a white down comforter dominated the right wall, dozens of soft-looking pillows strewn across it. A window was set into the wall, a small alcove-like window seat cut out underneath it.

"It's an east-facing window, before you ask." Klaus said softly.

Caroline smiled in excitement. A large dresser made of a dark wood was set against a wall, and a double set of closet doors made up the space next to it.

"I'll have to run into town tomorrow and grab all of my clothes," Caroline mused.

Then, with a grin, the blonde ran and leaped onto the fluffy bed, landing on what felt like one-hundred soft pillows. She leaned her head back in contentment, closing her eyes.

"I take it you like your accommodations?" Klaus spoke, crossing over to the window to open the curtains.

Caroline turned to him. Propping herself up with her elbows. "Like it?" She laughed. "They're perfect. Thank you."

Klaus gave her a small grin. "Good. Because if you like, you could always stay in the old servant out-buildings. I was assured they are charming and…rustic." He finished with a laugh while the blonde rolled her eyes at him.

"The only drawback to your room is that there is no attached bathroom, so it's right across the hall."

"What, no master-bedrooms in the 1800's?" Caroline said with fake surprise.

"No," Klaus laughed. "It just so happens that I have the only one in the house."

The blonde stretched back on the pillows, and Klaus strained not to look at her. It really wasn't fair, he decided. Why couldn't he have had an applicant in the form of a lovely elderly woman? Instead, fate had burdened him with Caroline. Young, beautiful, charming, and apparently _flexible_ Caroline, if her stretch was anything to judge by.

Klaus tore his eyes away from the blonde on the bed. "Come on, love. We have to finish the tour."

She groaned, getting up from the bed with reluctance. She hit him with a pout. "Do we have to?"

Nik resisted the urge to ruffle her blonde hair. "Yes. You still have to meet everyone."

Caroline's face took on a puzzled expression. _Meet everyone?_ She thought. _Well I guess it wouldn't be too bad to have people out here to distract me from…everything._

Klaus led Caroline back downstairs. The man was choosing to avoid answering all of her questions about who 'everyone' was; instead, he led her back downstairs.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" Caroline asked in exasperation.

Klaus smiled at her curiosity. "Outside. Remember how the application requested someone who liked horses?"

_Oh. Of course._ "It said dogs, too." Caroline remembered.

Klaus laughed. "That was just so that horses didn't seem to alarming. I don't have any dogs."

Caroline grinned at her boss's quirk. "Has it stopped raining yet?"

"About an hour ago." He replied, pulling a jacket from the closet in the foyer.

Caroline grimaced, realizing exactly what garment she didn't have. "Ah, Klaus? Do you think I could borrow a coat?"

The man looked at her regretfully. "Of course, how could I forget?" They'd put all of her clothes in the dryer a while ago, but Caroline could still hear it softly thudding down the hall.

Klaus reached into the coat-closet again, and sighed. Of course Rebekah would've taken all of her jackets with her when she'd left for Aspen. Klaus grabbed one of his own, apologizing for the size.

"It's alright," the blonde joked. "After all, I think knee-length coats are in nowadays."

Sure enough, when he was done helping her into his jacket and she'd zipped it up, the coat hung down past her knees, and the sleeves swallowed what had once been Caroline's arms.

"On the bright side, at least you won't be cold." Klaus shrugged, trying to ignore the foreign swelling sensation he received from looking at Caroline in his clothing.

The pair walked out into the crisp evening air, which helped Caroline focus a bit. The jacket she was wearing smelled divine, like sandalwood and vanilla, cloves, and something she couldn't put a finger on that was distinctly masculine. It was amazing.

Klaus led her to some buildings that she hadn't seen on her trek up his driveway, but that she now recognized as stables. Caroline gave a yelp of excitement and ran, trying not to trip over the coat. She beat Klaus, who was still walking and chuckling at her, and looked in the stables eagerly.

Carolineloved horses. Ever since she was a girl, she'd gone to a summer camp every year. There was always an end-of-summer horseback retreat in late August, and Caroline had fallen in love with the animals. After her parents' divorce, the gentle giants had calmed her worn adolescent nerves.

"They're beautiful." She mouthed in awe as Klaus caught up to her.

Standing in front of Caroline were three horses. A black gelding stood farthest left, his head held proud, black eyes meeting her curious blue ones. Farthest away, a young mare stood watching her carefully, as if not quite sure what to do with the human girl. Her white coat was somehow still clean, even after all of the rain today, and four grey socks stood out on her feet. The last horse in the stall was a brown mare, older than the other two, but twice as gentle. When Caroline stuck her hand through, the old mare came up to her, sniffing softly.

"What are their names?" She asked the man standing quietly behind her.

Klaus walked over and rested his hands on the stall doors, gesturing as he pointed them out. "The pretty young one is named Cleo. The gelding's name is Henrik. And the older mare is called May."

Caroline turned around and smiled expectantly. "Can I go inside?"

He was going to say no. Nik hated when other people touched things that were his, but he could see that the horses weren't disturbed by Caroline, nor she them.

"Of course, love." He replied. "Just be careful."

Caroline slowly unlatched the gate and moved inside, letting the animals smell her. "Will this be one of my jobs then? To look after them?"

"Yes." Klaus replied, absentmindedly checking his watch. "Caroline, I've got to go inside, I'm afraid. I have a conference call at 5:30."

The girl nodded, and Klaus left her as he walked back into the house, his mind plagued by thoughts. At least Caroline hadn't been a bust. Sure, he'd hired her on a whim, but he'd had no other applicants. _It's not my fault she's incandescent._ He'd had his suspicions, but seeing her with the horses had confirmed his thoughts: there was something different about Caroline, something that he hadn't seen since before Tatia.

He rationalized himself. _She's obviously good with the horses. She'll be good with other work too. _

Nik opened the door to his office, sitting in the same place he had when he'd interviewed Caroline. He shoved the clipboard he'd been drawing on during the interview aside. He'd known she'd been dying to know what he was writing on it. A bittersweet smile crossed his lips as he took the piece of paper off. Delicately sketched there was a simple drawing of Caroline, her eyes bright as she shot words at him, her hair a mess of gentle waves.

_Pull yourself together, Nik._ He told himself. He balled the drawing of his new housekeeper together and threw it in a perfect arc towards his trashcan. He ran his hands through his hair, thoughts only interrupted by the gentle pinging of his laptop.

_Finally. _He thought, as he pulled up the Skype window. Time to get back to what he was best at: negotiating with other peoples' money.

"Elijah. How are things doing in the American branch?"

XXX

Caroline took her time, getting to know each of the horses. The little one, Cleo, seemed to like her the most, and continuously rubbed her face against Caroline's shoulder. When she went over to the gelding, Henrik, she laughed aloud at how similar the horse was to Klaus. The older mare was also nothing if not friendly.

When Caroline decided to go back into the manor, it was almost 7 pm. She walked through the front door, and discovered that her mud and rain she'd tracked in with her arrival was still there. Caroline quickly ran to the bathroom and grabbed one of the older-looking towels, drying the water. She then grabbed a mop from the laundry room, and finished removing the dirt.

Straitening proudly, Caroline was startled by a deep groan from her stomach. She realized she was starving. She hadn't eaten since early that morning, and she was certain that Klaus hadn't either. She hung up his jacket in the foyer and wandered back to the kitchen, noting that Klaus's office door was closed, although she could hear his voice murmuring through the wood.

Her search led her to the fridge, where she immediately saw why Klaus needed another person around the house. The contents of the fridge were half liquor, and half prepackaged. She sighed. The one thing her mother had done right when Caroline was a child was to make a home-cooked meal as often as she could.

Giving up on the fridge, Caroline went to the pantry. Again, she was met with shelves filled with hard alcohol, mostly scotch, but this time she found a package of pasta. A few more minutes of digging revealed some canned tomatoes, and Caroline smiled.

Finding a pot underneath the stove, she got water boiling, and dumped the noodles in. She poured the tomatoes into a skillet with garlic that she found in a dish, and some spices from a cabinet above the fridge.

She leaned back, proud of herself. She would make a damn good housekeeper yet.

When Klaus emerged from his office twenty minutes later, his nose led him right to the kitchen, where Caroline was bent over the counter writing out a grocery list. "Anything that you're overly fond of, besides booze?" She asked.

He lowered his head, mock-ashamed. "I'll eat about anything, love. Thank you for this." He gestured to the make-do spaghetti on the stove.

Caroline dished him up with a grimace. "Don't say that until you've tasted it."

He shot her a disbelieving look, and forked mouthfuls down. "S'good," he mumbled through another huge bite.

_How can someone stuff their face and still manage to look striking?_ Caroline mused. She dished herself up a portion, and went to work.

A few minutes and two bowls later, Klaus's computer started pinging at him and he groaned. "We were on a break. Leave this out, I want more later." And with that, he walked back into his office, shutting the door behind him.

Caroline chuckled at her boss. The man acted like he hadn't eaten in days, and with the contents of his pantry, she would believe it. The blonde looked at the clock on the wall. 8:30 wasn't too early to take a bath and head to bed, was it?

XXX

"Since when do you cook, Niklaus?" Elijah's skeptical digital image asked him.

Klaus cleared his pasta-filled mouth out before he spoke. "I don't. Now, for the Pemberly account, I was thinking that…"

Elijah's accusatory gaze cut him off. "So who made the food? It looks delicious Nik; I can almost smell it here in New York."

"I hired a new housekeeper. Having them cook for you is one of the perks, Elijah; you really should look into it. Now, as I was saying. The with the Pemberly account, we really don't have to worry. The youngest is about to turn 18, soon enough the old man won't have to send alimony checks every month. He'll be a lot happier…"

"Is it a woman?" Elijah asked.

Klaus rested his face in his hands. "Yes, Elijah. Now can we talk about this later? I'd really rather this call didn't take all night."

His brother smirked at him through the screen. "Is she young?"

"25."

Elijah frowned in disapproval. "What have you gotten yourself into, Nik?"

Klaus frowned through the screen, knowing that if he said anything, it would only encourage his eldest brother.

"Gorgeous?" Elijah asked.

"That's a matter of opinion, Elijah."

"Gorgeous?" His brother asked again.

"Exceptionally."

Elijah's laughter permeated through the screen. "I can see the cover of the romance novel now." He jeered. "Lonely millionaire Niklaus Mikaelson has never felt love's tender caress until he enlists the charismatic..."

"Caroline." Nik supplied reluctantly.

Elijah's monologue stopped as he trailed off in snickers. Klaus waited it out; years of growing up with his siblings ensured that they never passed up an excuse to meddle in the other ones' business.

"Pretty name." Elijah commented.

Klaus shook his head. "Can we please get back to these last accounts now?"

"All in good time, brother." Elijah smirked, steepling his fingers.

Klaus gave a resigned sigh. "What do you want to know?"

"Are you over Tatia? She hurt you, even if you don't like to show it." His eldest sibling asked the million-dollar question right off the bat.

"I don't know, Elijah. It's been what, eight months?" Klaus said dryly, finishing off the incriminating spaghetti. _But god it was delicious. _He would thank Caroline later.

"Mhmm." Elijah hummed. "Have you looked at women since Tatia?"

"Of course I look at women, Elijah. I looked at women even when I was with her." Klaus spoke. "You can't honestly tell me that you've never checked out another woman when you and Katherine are out in public."

Elijah nodded, grimacing. "Of course I do, I just pretend not to." Klaus nodded knowingly. Elijah's fiancée Katherine was infamous for her temper.

"I just want to make sure that you don't hurt yourself, Nik. I know how badly Tatia messed with your head, and I don't want you to rebound with the same girl who's cooking you food and knows where you sleep."

Klaus scoffed. "Do you really think so lowly of me, 'Lijah?"

"As far as relationships are concerned, yes." His brother stated honestly.

Unfortunately, Klaus couldn't deny everything Elijah was insinuating. He had a history of bad relationships. "I promise I'll be fine, Elijah. Now, can we get back to these accounts? They're getting cold."

Elijah nodded. "Of course, just one last thing: You do know that Rebekah is coming to visit you as soon as she's back from Aspen?"

Klaus groaned. "Please tell me she isn't bringing that insufferable…"

"I've been assured that Salvatore is staying behind." Elijah cut him off.

"Fantastic. Now, the accounts?"

His brother nodded studiously, and groaned at the pile of investor profiles they still had to cover before the night was over. Klaus cracked his knuckles, and settled in for a long night.

XXX

Upstairs, Caroline had discovered that her bathroom was just as luxurious as the one downstairs. Quickly, she drew herself a bath and climbed in, wanting to relax and text Elena about her day's adventures.

**Got the job! Coming in tomorrow to pick up my stuff. Coffee? –C**

Caroline settled back in the tub, knowing that she had time to relax. Elena was a notoriously bad text-messenger unless you were an attractive male. The blonde sighed, and began rubbing shampoo through her hair, letting the warm water soothe her tension-filled muscles.

Shampoo, and then face wash, that was her shower routine. Caroline moved to the body wash after that, applying it to a washcloth that she'd pulled from the cabinets. She scrubbed up and down her body, rinsing away the day. _If only someone was here to wash my back…_ It was something she'd always hated, craning to reach the spot in her back that she could never quite get, so she'd made every man she'd ever lived with do it for her.

Her face flushed. Klaus would have to be an exception to _that_ particular set of rules. Sure, they were living together, but they were by no means together. She could picture it though, in her head. _The calloused hands that she knew he had,_ _gently rubbing her back in a way that was more stimulating than it was helpful. She'd lean her head back on his shoulder, nose sweeping against his jawline as he placed hot, open-mouthed kisses on her neck with those full lips, his hands spiraling lower and lower…_

A buzzing from her phone that could only be Elena stopped her from continuing her not-so-employee-like thoughts about her boss. Caroline's cheeks flushed hard as she read the message.

**Happy for you Care! Swing by the flat in the morning, coffee's my treat. –E**

Caroline's shaky fingers typed a reply, ensuring Elena that she'd be in by the morning. Caroline sat back, trying to calm her breathing. Klaus was her boss. _Klaus is your boss. Boss. B-o-s-s. It cannot happen, Caroline. Keep it in your head. _Thoroughly flustered, Caroline pulled the plug out of the tub and let the water swirl down the drain, along with any wayward thoughts she had had of Klaus Mikaelson.

The blonde got out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her wet hair, and a robe that she'd found in the cabinet around her body. She was certain to step on the towel she'd laid down. Why make a mess that she'd have to clean up?

She checked her reflection in the steamed mirror. Her cheeks were rosy from the steam, and Caroline could see how pronounced the bags under her eyes had become. _I need to sleep, _the blonde thought tiredly, and opened the door to the hall.

Hearing the footsteps come up the stairs, Caroline left her door open; she needed to talk to Klaus about tomorrow.

"Tough night?" she called out to him as he walked past her door with a tired stride.

Klaus smirked at her with chagrin, "Aren't they all?" The man tried to keep his thoughts from wandering to Caroline in a robe, but after his conversation with Elijah, his senses were on hyper-alert.

"I needed to ask you about tomorrow," Caroline continued, shaking her hair out of her towel to dry and combing through it with her fingers.

Klaus swallowed and looked at his feet. She looked so at home right now, standing in his house. Hell, he could smell whatever scent of intoxicating shampoo she used, some cross between lavender and mint.

"Ask away," he managed.

She smiled at him, and sat down on the edge of her bed, hands fiddling with her cell phone. "I need to get into the city tomorrow, to pick up my things and well…" the blonde trailed off.

"Well?" he prompted.

"I don't have a car."

Klaus laughed. "Is that all, love? That's not a problem; I'll let you borrow one."

Caroline's eyes widened. "Really?"

He chuckled. "Unless there's some pressing reason why I shouldn't lend you one, I don't see why not. You have to go in to shop anyways, take a car."

"Oh. Well okay then!" Caroline piped.

"Okay then." He echoed, lingering in her doorway, though she obviously had gotten what she wanted to talk about.

He turned to leave, sliding a hand down her doorframe, but not before her voice called out. "Goodnight, Klaus."

"Goodnight, Caroline." He said, deliberately refusing to notice all of the leg that her robe revealed.

He left, walking down the hallway to his master bedroom, trying not to think about a certain beautiful blonde that lay a mere twenty feet from his door.

XXX

**A/N I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you again to all that reviewed, followed, and favorited. It makes my day. **

***Like so many others, I use song titles for the names of my chapters. They can be whatever I'm listening to at the time, like they have been, or completely random, which I can see happening in the future. Thanks for reading!**

****This story is my attempt at trying to write a long, slow burn of a romance. I've got my fingers crossed hopefully that I can pull it off. Thanks for following. **


	3. The Approaching Curve

**A/N Hello all! Sorry this update has taken me a little longer, it was a doozy to write. It's also a tiny bit shorter than the first two chapters, but I digress. Hope you enjoy it all the same! **

Chapter 3: The Approaching Curve

The morning rose bright and swift for Caroline. The east facing window that dominated one wall of her room let the sunrise in gently. The blonde woke up peacefully, so unlike how she had while staying with Elena. More often than not, her friend's smoothie blender had acted as an alarm clock in the morning.

Caroline sat up in bed, stretching fully, and enjoyed the feel of the sun on her face. She got up with a contented sigh, and managed to make her way across the hall and into her bathroom. She poked under her eyes; the bags were still there, but they were less prominent. Caroline rustled around in the relatively empty drawers. Her makeup, curling iron, and clothes were all at Elena's flat.

Resigning herself to re-wearing the clothes she'd arrived in, Caroline made her way down the giant stairs and into the laundry room, where her clothes were awaiting her in the dryer. She grabbed them and shut the door, changing quickly into the leggings, button down, and camisole she'd worn in the rain.

"Klaus?" she called out, walking into the kitchen.

Her boss was seated at one of the three stools that occupied the counter, head bent over something that he was furiously writing on. A mug of some steaming liquid sat on the counter next to him. He raised a hand to acknowledge her, and Caroline saw the phone at his ear. Clearly, the person on the other line had a lot to say, since Klaus began scribbling again.

Caroline moved around the kitchen, mentally adding coffee to her grocery list. She liked a good cup of tea, but there was only so long the blonde could go without hard caffeine.

She heard Klaus set the phone down on the counter and run a hand through his already sleep-ruffled hair.

"Anything I need to worry about?" If he needed her to pick something up for him in town, she would.

Her boss gave a small grin. "No, I'm afraid the only person who needs to worry about Rebekah is me."

_Rebekah. _It wasn't the first time Caroline had heard the name mentioned. She was bound to be a girlfriend of some sort.

"Oh." Caroline supplied. "Well, besides that is there anything else you can think of that I should grab? I'm about to head out."

"No, whatever you've got down should be good, love." Klaus said.

Caroline hung in the kitchen awkwardly, not wanting to ask for the keys he'd promised, but hoping he'd remember.

Klaus hit himself on the forehead gently, and sprang up. "Of course. You'll need a car."

He stood up and walked off to an area that they had left unexplored on their previous day's tour. Caroline quickly discovered that, of course, he had a garage filled with different cars to match the house. The obvious wealth left her curious as to what he had done to earn it; all she knew was that he was in finance or business or something like it.

He led her over to one of the larger cars, reaching up to slide the zipper of the car-cover down. As he reached above his head, Caroline studiously tried to avoid looking at the gap of skin that was revealed by his tee shirt sliding upwards.

_Focus, Caroline._ Luckily, he had the car cover off in moments, and she had to catch her breath at the sleek SUV underneath. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's a new Lincoln Navigator," he replied proudly.

Caroline cocked an eyebrow. "Do I want to know how much it costs?"

"Nope." Klaus popped his lips on the 'p' sound, and tossed Caroline the keys. "When will you be back?"

The blonde shrugged. "Not too long. I'm sure I'll be back by this evening."

Klaus nodded. "Drive safe."

Caroline used a handle to jump up into the seat of the car; it was bigger than she was. "I will!"

And with that, the blonde sped away, careful not to damage the car on the numerous potholes that filled the unkempt driveway.

XXX

"Caroline!" The over exuberant voice of Elena Gilbert rang out.

Caroline smiled, running lightly to the front of the coffee shop where her friend was sitting. "Elena! What's up? You seem more chipper than usual."

Her brunette friend returned her smile brightly. "Why don't we order, and then I'll tell you," she said elusively. Caroline nodded, and the pair walked to the counter and ordered, Elena maintaining her lively tone the whole way. Caroline was shocked. Usually Elena was the friend who was always worried; an angsty, all-concerned look had been plastered to her face since high school.

The pair grabbed their coffees and walked over to a table near the window.

"So?" Caroline prosed, gently blowing on her scalding hot americano.

Elena giggled, and then, not being able to hold it in any longer: "Matt and I are buying a house!"

Caroline's eyes opened in shock. "Really? 'Lena, that's great!"

"I know, can you believe it?"

Caroline chuckled. "Honestly, no. Little Elena Gilbert, living the dream with a house of her own?" The blonde tried to keep the hint of bitterness out of her voice. Once again, Elena was getting everything she wanted.

Some things never changed.

Elena was babbling on about how perfect her and Matt's little cottage was and how it was right next to this beautiful grove when Caroline's phone vibrated loudly on the table top.

She looked at it in confusion. She hardly ever received messages, and Elena knew it. The brunette girl's brow arched as she spoke. "Who is it?"

Caroline grabbed the phone, curious.

**Caroline- I got your number from Elise; actually there are a few things that you can pick up for me. Call me when you get to the store, please? –Klaus**

Her lips quirked. She wasn't surprised he'd gotten her number, not really. It seemed like a very Klaus-ish thing to do.

"Who was that?" Elena asked curiously.

"Ah… my new boss. He wants me to pick some things up for him."

"He? Your boss is a man?" The brunette cheeked.

Caroline sighed, knowing where this was going, but not wanting to play along. Her friend was notorious for ruthlessly teasing Caroline whenever she could.

"Yes, he is a man."

Elena waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Is he cute?"

Caroline didn't answer, though she could feel Elena's judgmental gaze on her cheeks.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me, but that blush is giving you away more than you think." Elena stated. "What's his name?"

"Klaus Mikaelson."

"Oooh, how manly." Elena faked a swoon. "What does he do?"

Caroline shrugged. "I'm not sure really. I know he works in finance or something like it." The blonde sipped her coffee as Elena scoffed.

"Caroline, really? It's the twenty-first century. Have you never heard of Google?"

"It had never crossed my mind," the girl said genuinely. Klaus really didn't have that creepy vibe that would have warranted her searching about him.

Elena reached over to pat her shoulder. "Well, consider yourself fortunate that you have me!" The brunette quickly whipped out her smart-phone and began typing his name into her search engine.

"Any idea how to spell Mikaelson?" Elena asked.

"Not a clue." Caroline continued to sip her coffee in relative silence until…

"Ah-ha! Found him. At least I hope so…God, Caroline, he's a little past 'cute'."

Caroline grabbed the phone from Elena's hand to check. Sure enough, there was a small, wallet-sized picture of Klaus staring back up at her, with a facial expression that looked as if someone had just walked in on him daydreaming and snapped the shot. More interesting to Caroline was the blurb underneath the picture:

_"Considered the J.P. Morgan of our time, Niklaus Mikaelson is an English-born financer, philanthropist, and investor. He is the financial director of Mikaelson Financial Corporation, which he co-owns with elder brother Elijah. Niklaus has been at the forefront of modern economics for the past five years. He has several residences across the globe, but lives permanently in his home country. Niklaus is unmarried, and spends his free time with his four siblings. Forbes Magazine estimates Mikaelson's net worth at £23.8 billion. At age 31, this makes Niklaus Mikaelson the second youngest person to ever rank amongst the top ten wealthiest individuals."_

"You've got to be kidding me, Caroline!" Elena burst out. "The man probably shits gold, and you're scrubbing his toilets?"

Caroline sat back in shock. Sure, Klaus was rich; he couldn't be anything other than that with the multiple cars and the huge house, but she never would have guessed that he was _that_ rich.

"It never really came up…" Caroline deflected, while Elena shook her head.

"Caroline. You are impossible. If I was in your spot…" Elena smirked coquettishly, wiggling her hips. "Well you know what they say: marry rich, learn to love."

Caroline leveled a glare at Elena, who threw her hands up in self-defense.

"You're horrible." Caroline settled for, downing the dregs of her now lukewarm coffee.

Elena shrugged it off. "At least I'm honest!" The brunette said, rising from her chair. "Now let's go get your stuff, alright?"

Caroline nodded her head in agreement and rose, still pondering the mystery that was Klaus.

XXX

As the pair walked into Elena and Matt's flat, the only thing Caroline noted was that she hadn't missed it much. The blonde made her way to her room, making quick work of all the things she'd brought with her from college.

Caroline was a folder. Everything she put in her oversized suit case was placed there neatly, and with care. She stacked her socks into pyramids, and folded her pants in exactly three sections.

"Wow, OCD much?" Elena's voice came from the doorway as Caroline was hunched over her clothes.

"I've seen your closet, Elena. Believe me; it could use some of my particular breed of OCD."

Elena tut-tutted. "I work on a principle of organized chaos."

Caroline conceded, grumbling as she walked into her bathroom, shoving her toiletries into a bag, so nonchalantly that Elena raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Some housekeeper you'll make," the brunette scoffed. "Sure, his clothes will be color-coordinated and chronologically organized, but alas, the poor bathroom!" Elena faked a swoon, and then had to hurry and dodge the shoe that Caroline threw in her direction.

The blonde laughed at Elena's fake cry of pain, and then pulled the zipper on her luggage closed, standing up.

"So…" Caroline started, knowing that she needed to get to the grocery store and back to Klaus.

Elena dropped her joking smile and looked at Caroline with a hint of nostalgia.

"This is it, huh?" The brunette asked. "Me, going to get my first house, and you, working for a reclusive billionaire."

"Yep." Caroline said. "Gosh, life is just so boring, isn't it?"

The girls broke off in a fit of giggles and Elena ran to Caroline, pulling her closest friend into an even closer embrace. "You'll take care of yourself, right Care?" Elena asked tentatively.

"Of course, 'Lena."

The pair hugged for a moment more, and then released slightly.

"You take care of Matt, Elena." Caroline said, making direct eye-contact with her friend. "He's one of the good ones, okay?"

Elena nodded vigorously, and then pulled Caroline back in for a quick hug before walking her to the door.

Caroline walked out, waving as she went. "Goodbye, Elena!"

"Bye, Care, I'll see you soon." Elena's answer came, as Caroline clambered up into the cab of the car that Klaus had lent her. The blonde drove away, watching Elena's reflection in her mirror for as long as she could.

The girls had been friends since their high school days. In small-town Virginia, the outspoken girls had stuck together, and Elena and Caroline fit the bill. They'd had their skirmishes over the years, but made up in the end. They had even gone to college together, until Elena had dropped out to follow Matt to Europe.

_In a way, _Caroline thought, _it all worked out in the end._ The girls were still friends, and Elena's connections had made sure that Caroline wasn't eaten alive in her first few days out of her home country.

Seeing a sign for a supermarket, Caroline pulled over and parked the car. She dialed Klaus as she hopped up onto the sidewalk.

"Hello?" his accented voice called out on the first ring.

"Klaus. It's Caroline." The blonde spoke into the phone.

"Of course," Klaus said. "Are you at the grocer's already?"

Puzzled, Caroline pulled her phone away from her ear to check the time. "Already? Klaus, it's almost 4:30."

Sure enough, the sky was beginning to darken, adding a purplish tint to the clouds. The sun still peeked out behind a few, but Caroline had noticed the temperature drop.

"You're kidding." Klaus's incredulous voice rang threw the cell, and she heard him get up and draw a blind.

"Been shut up in your office all day?' Caroline hypothesized, as she grabbed a basket from the pile outside the market.

"If I told you no, would you call me a liar?"

"Yes."

She heard his chuckle through the other end and smiled. "Now, what do you need? Quickly, if you could, Klaus. I'd really rather not drive back in the dark."

More sounds of rummaging and shuffling came through the speaker, along with a curse or two.

"Klaus?" Caroline questioned.

"Ah yes. She made me write a list out, I'm afraid that I seemed to have misplaced it… temporarily." The sound of her boss opening and closing the door to the kitchen rang in her ear, and then…

"Got it!"

Caroline shook her head at his triumphant tone. "Perfect. Now what's the first thing on there?"

"Kale."

"Got it." Caroline sped off in search of the leafy vegetable. She'd had it before, as it was incredibly healthy, but Caroline couldn't make herself eat it more than she had to. She found some, and bagged it. Then the girl walked over to the meat section and grabbed a few different cuts.

"Okay." She said. "What's next?"

"Second item is…chia seeds."

"Like ch-ch-ch-chia?" Caroline questioned through the phone.

"That must be some American thing, love." She could hear the skepticism in his voice. "All I'm told is that they are supposed to do wonders for your health."

Caroline found the seeds, almost dreading the next item on Klaus's overly healthy list.

"Acai berries are your next target."

Caroline sighed in relief, tossing packages of pasta into her basket as she passed them. Those, at least, were delicious. "Well, I never took you for such a healthy eater, Klaus."

A grimace graced his face, though the blonde couldn't see it. "Oh no, love. This isn't for me. These are all for Rebekah. She called this morning, and cruelly informed me that if I wanted to enjoy her company, my fridge should be well-stocked."

_Rebekah, _Caroline thought as she bagged various produce. There was that name again. Caroline couldn't picture the type of woman attached to the name, or as to why such a seemingly high-maintenance woman was with Klaus.

"Anything else?" Caroline asked, putting it out of her mind. His business was his business.

"Not a thing, love. See you at the house?"

Caroline nodded, heading to the checkout line. "Of course. I'm leaving right after I'm done here."

"See you soon, Caroline."

"Bye, Klaus." The blonde responded, and then clicked the phone off.

Caroline made her way back out to the car, settling her things down into the passenger seat. The dusk was turning a darker shade of blue purple as the blonde made her way out of town and into the countryside.

Deftly navigating the road, Caroline made her way back up to Klaus's estate in good time. She put a little extra metal into the gas to make it up the driveway, but the SUV he'd lent her had no problems.

Caroline got out of the car with her things, pulling the straps of the plastic grocery bags over her arms so that she wouldn't have to take more than one trip. The girl twisted around to hit the button that closed the electronic garage door.

Making her way inside, Caroline half-ran to the kitchen before her arms gave way underneath all of her things. The kitchen was just as she left it; the only sign that Klaus had been around was the empty mug and teabag on the counter. She put it in the sink. The old house didn't have a dishwasher, so she'd taken to waiting until she had a few dishes to wash at a time.

Klaus's muffled voice came through his study room door, and Caroline shook her head. He was probably dealing with immense amounts of money, and she was left swimming in student loans and overdraft fees.

The blonde hurried to put away the groceries she'd picked up at the store, giving the fridge and pantry a little more life. After that, she wiped down the counters and decided to take a lap of the house to see if anything needed tending to.

Of the rooms on the first floor, only three had messes that required her assistance. She vacuumed the library's carpet; she highly suspected it hadn't been done in years. Caroline then wiped down all of the mirrors in the bathroom, and scrubbed the tub. After making her way to the other side of the house, she decided to dust the billiard's tables in the game room.

Caroline made her way upstairs with weary feet. The sweep of the house had taken her at least an hour, and it was getting dark. She couldn't believe that Klaus had never hired anyone before this. _I'll ask him about it tomorrow._

Making the executive decision to postpone her cleaning of the upstairs until the next day, Caroline grabbed her suitcase and started to unpack. She folded all of her clothes neatly, save the ones that were better off being hung in the closet. She sat all of her shoes against the wall at the bottom of the closet, and the stored her suitcase inside as well.

The blonde collapsed on the bed with a sigh, running her fingers against her tired scalp. Caroline took a moment to reflect before going into the bathroom across the hall to throw her things in a drawer there. She brushed her teeth as soon as she was done unloading, and took her hair down.

Heading back into her room, Caroline changed quickly into the shorts and tank top that made up her pajamas. She was just starting to turn down her covers when she heard Klaus's feet padding down the hallway.

He stopped outside her doorway and gave a gentle knock-knock on the frame.

"Yes?"

Her boss's tired countenance poked through the doorway. "Thank you for picking up those things today." He spoke.

Caroline shrugged. "Of course. It's part of my job, right?"

Klaus gave a tired grin. "Right. Anyways, I appreciate it."

She nodded, unintentionally letting a yawn slip out.

Klaus laughed at Caroline's embarrassed grin. "Long day?"

"You could say that." The blonde replied, looking expectantly back at Klaus. She _was_ tired.

"Well I'll let you get to it, then." He said, and moved to leave.

"Goodnight, Klaus."

"Goodnight, Caroline. Sleep well." He responded, and then left, closing the door gently behind him.

Usually, when Caroline went to bed, she would stay awake thinking for a while before she could actually fall asleep. That night, it wasn't the case. The young blonde fell asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow, any thought she'd had disappearing immediately.

XXX

In his room, Klaus stayed up reading until he was almost certain Caroline had fallen asleep. Rubbing a hand across his tired face, the man left his room and started down the hall. He passed the door to the sunroom, left slightly ajar, its walls bathed in starlight.

Klaus fiddled with the keys in his hand, finally fitting one to the lock on the door he'd stopped in front of. _'Storage from my past houses,'_ he'd told Caroline. It was a knee-jerk reaction, really. He'd never like it when people knew about what he really kept behind that door.

He slid in, closing the door gently behind him. He groped about on the wall for the light switch, the smell of turpentine and oil meeting his nose in a familiar combination.

Finally, Klaus found the light. He sighed in contentment when he saw what the bright bulb revealed. Hundreds upon hundreds of canvases in various states of completion littered the room; some in neat stacks along the wall, some thrown about as if a tornado had swept through.

He grabbed the waiting bottle of scotch he kept at a side table and poured it into a glass. Taking a fortifying sip, Klaus pulled the drop cloth away from the last canvas he'd been working on and smiled. The man sat down, pulling the palate of colors closer to him.

Picking up a brush, Klaus began to paint as he did every night, all night, letting the world fade around him. Eventually, the sunrise would come and send him to bed for a few restless hours of sleep, but anything was better than being plagued all night long by nightmares that had failed to disappear even after nearly twenty years.

Applying the paint was a dance as common as a well-known song to him, and like always, Klaus began to hum, letting the familiar rhythmic graze of brush against canvas lull him into the night.

XXX

**A/N What oh what does Klaus have nightmares about? Hope you enjoyed, despite the lack of Klaroline bonding in this one. A girl's got to have some background, no?**

**A special thank you to all of you who reviewed, it means a lot to me! Drop me a comment, or hit the favorite button, but only if you want to. Your support means the world. Xo. **

**And to the Guest who wanted to see the sunroom, don't worry: you will. ;)**


	4. Tete-A-Tete

**A/N I love you guys. Just know that! I'm so flattered by the responses I've gotten from this story. So thank you thank you thank you! It means the world to me. I don't think I've ever broken 100 follows in three chapters. It's amazing. So without further ado, here's chapter four:**

Chapter Four: Tete-A-Tete

Days passed, and Caroline kept up with the housework as much as she could. After all, there weren't many places that Klaus went in the house, so any messes were relatively contained.

And thus, a routine ensued.

Caroline would wake up in the morning, throw herself together, and head down to make breakfast. Half the time, she would beat Klaus downstairs and have everything ready for him; the other half saw him already seated at the table, nursing a pair of sleep-deprived eyes and a mug of tea.

Then, the blonde would clean the kitchen, do any laundry that had added up and take her daily rounds of the house. She would go outside and scratch the horses: that was as far as her duties with them were required, as she'd found out that Klaus had hired a trainer named Zach on her fourth day on the job.

The blonde would then go back inside and cook lunch if Klaus wanted it, but more often than not he passed, and withdrew to his room for an afternoon nap. Caroline used that time to go into his office and clean: she straightened his desk, emptied the garbage, and arranged his files on rare occasions.

By midday, Caroline would go upstairs, cleaning the bathrooms and bedrooms. She'd taken the time to sweep the grand staircase once, and was extremely grateful that the time-consuming process wasn't required every day.

Then, she'd make dinner, listen to Klaus talk about his work for a bit, and retire. Caroline was busy but compared to some of the other odd jobs she'd held in the past, this one had its perks.

At night, she'd lay in bed, exhausted. Nearly every night since she'd been there, Caroline had tried to remind herself to set an alarm for early the next morning; she'd been dying to watch the sunrise from the sunroom. However, nearly every morning, Caroline would forget or sleep through her alarm, her tiredness trumping her desire to explore.

Truth be told, Caroline was tired. She wondered why Klaus hadn't hired other people. _There's no way he can't afford it, _she surmised.

She'd been too hesitant to talk to her boss about the lack of employees on the huge estate at first; complaining on your first day was never fetching, but she felt that her work merited a little input.

"Klaus, why am I the only housekeeper you have?" She finally asked him, one day at breakfast.

He gave a small smile, shifting his tea cup from one hand to another.

"Well you see love; I haven't lived in this house much longer than you have." He replied after some thought.

"And..?"

"And I don't usually get on with people as well as I did with you." He grinned up at her sheepishly.

Caroline scoffed. _With those dimples, I bet it's_ _hard to _not _get along with people_, she thought. "What does that have to do with my question?"

"Well," he continued. "You were more of an experiment, to start. Sure, I needed the house cleaned, but I wanted to see if I had the social tact to run an estate."

Caroline raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "So you think that because we get along, you can?"

"Precisely." Klaus raised a finger in emphasis. "But then again, we met under quite abnormal circumstances. Who was I to say that our ability to communicate with ease wasn't due to the forced unusuality of you showing up for an interview looking as if you'd been dragged through a monsoon?"

Caroline blushed and then shivered; the recollections of her cold clothes were still fresh in her mind. "So you were hesitant to hire other people because you might not like the new employee or vice versa?" Caroline connected Klaus's erratic dots.

"More or less."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you seem to get along alright with people. I mean, you hired Zach to watch the horses, right?" Caroline posed.

"Ah yes." Klaus continued, steepling his fingers in anticipation. "Darling Zachary was my second experiment. I wanted to test the theory that I was, in fact, good with people; and it turns out that contrary to what I've been told in the past, I am."

"Who told you that you weren't good with people?" Caroline asked.

Klaus's face darkened. "That, Caroline is a story for another time." He got up, moving from the stool to put his coffee mug in the sink. "Truthfully, I'm out of practice. I used to be alright, but my profession makes me much more of a behind the scenes warrior; my brother Elijah is quite the diplomat, you should see him. He's all suits and stoic charm."

Klaus paused to take a breath. "Through time, I became the brain of the operation, while Elijah became the alluring face."

"So you used Zach and me as experiments?" Caroline asked him with a teasing smirk.

Klaus met her gaze. "Of a sort, yes. But I think that everything's turned out rather nicely, has it not?"

Caroline nodded. She was grateful that she had the job, and the work wasn't bad either.

"Now Caroline," Klaus started, pulling orange juice from the fridge and setting it on the counter. "I have a full load of work this morning, and will be requiring sustenance. How good is your mimosa?"

XXX

After their conversation that morning, Caroline took it upon herself to go around the estate and categorize different jobs that required personnel.

_Groundskeeper, _she thought adamantly, adding it to the list in her hand. _The driveway is atrocious, and the lawn! _The four acres surrounding the estate looked like they hadn't been mowed since the dark ages.

Caroline continued her walk around the house, noting that she needed to hire someone to wash the many outside windows.

"Good day, Caroline!" Zach called out to her as she passed the stables.

Caroline smiled, walking over to the sixty-something trainer. "Good day, Zach!" she called out. "How's it been?"

The kind man smiled at her conversationally. "Same old, honey. Any specific orders from the boss?" He asked, gesturing at her clipboard curiously.

"Oh, no!" Caroline exclaimed. "I'm just looking at places the estate could use improvement. Do you need anything?"

Zach lived comfortably in one of the out-buildings next to the stables, though through their conversations he'd told Caroline that sometimes he preferred sleeping in the stables. Old habits died hard; Zach had been a professional jockey in his youth.

"I wouldn't say no to getting a plumber out here," he said. "The pipes get a bit creaky when it's cold outside."

_Plumber,_ Caroline jotted down on her list. "Thanks, Zach," the blonde spoke. "Can I go in and see the horses?"

"Of course, lassy. They love you, why not?"

Caroline blushed at the compliment. She'd always like the horses, and it had been evident that after her first few days, they liked her too. She walked into the stable, gently clucking her tongue as Cleo came up for a scratch.

"You'll have to come in for a ride one day, Caroline." Zach said.

Caroline nodded. She'd thought about it quite a few times, but had never had the time.

The blonde withdrew her hand from a very eager Henrik, and turned to head back out. "I'll see you around, Zach!" she said as she walked back to the house.

The older man nodded and raised a hand in parting, already distracted by a burr that appeared to have worked its way into May's side.

Opening the front door, Caroline noticed the large marble tiles on the floor. They covered quite a bit of the house, and were duller than they could've been. Caroline quickly jotted floor-waxer onto her list.

Caroline walked into the kitchen, noting Klaus's closed office door. She could hear his voice murmuring through the wood, and decided to knock, wondering if he wanted lunch.

"Klaus?" the blonde called, knocking softly on the hard oak door.

She heard his voice pause. "Come in, Caroline." He said.

She opened the door, noticing Klaus at his desk. He was talking to his computer screen, presumably Skyping with someone. Her suspicions were only confirmed a moment later when an accented voice rose from the computer.

"Is that your new housekeeper, Niklaus? Turn your blasted screen, brother; I'd love to meet her." The voice spoke, ignoring Klaus's petulant gaze.

"It's a desktop, Elijah. I can't very well turn it, can I?" He spoke into the screen, and then turned to her. "Come over here, Caroline. My brother turns petty when he doesn't get what he wants."

Klaus sighed and ran a hand through his hair as Caroline walked over behind him, struggling to fit in the cramped space between his desk chair and the wall.

"Hello," the blonde waved tentatively at the screen.

Elijah beamed at her. "Ah, the lovely Caroline, I presume? I've heard _so_ much about you."

Klaus scowled. "Really, Elijah. You don't need to harass the girl."

"It's all in good fun, brother!" Elijah defended himself as Caroline giggled and leaned closer to the screen.

"You must be Elijah," she stated. "The one with the good people skills, no?"

Elijah tut-tutted and Klaus groaned. "Well, well, Nik. We've been rather chatty, haven't we?"

"Coming from a large family, you come up in casual conversation, 'Lijah." Klaus defended himself distractedly. Caroline's hair was delicately brushing his shoulder from where she was standing beside him, and Klaus was struggling not to inhale the pleasant scent of peppermint that was radiating off of it.

"So Caroline," Elijah continued. "Is my brother treating you well?"

Caroline laughed again, leaning slightly forward to adjust the monitor as she spoke. "I don't have any complaints yet, but I'm afraid it's only my first week!" she replied. Klaus grimaced, trying desperately to repress a shiver as her blonde hair tickled the back of his neck.

Elijah clapped slowly. "Well done, Niklaus. Mother raised you to be a decent human after all." The older brother gave a joking smirk.

"And a large sod off to you too, Elijah." Klaus responded, earning a chuckle from Caroline.

Elijah nodded. "In all honesty though, I'd best be going. Katherine is dragging me to a cake-tasting today." The man on the screen ran his hands through his hair. "Take my advice, brother, and never get married."

Klaus laughed. "I doubt the chances of that happening are very high, but I'll take your word for it."

Caroline couldn't help but laugh a little, remembering what Elena had said about marrying rich and learning to love. Her laugh earned her a raised eyebrow from Elijah.

"Caroline, we must meet in person. Anyone who can withstand my brother is a miracle worker in my opinion." Elijah commented. "If you're ever in New York, drop by?"

Caroline spoke her agreement, and the waved as Elijah logged off.

"He's a charmer, Elijah." Klaus said as he turned the computer off.

"I'm glad I met him," the blonde said honestly, moving to the other side of the desk and out of the cramped space. "Although it's not what I came in here for. I meant to ask you if you wanted lunch."

"Mhmm, depends." Klaus replied, stretching his arms out behind his back. "What's on the menu?"

Caroline drew her gaze from the fabric that pulled tight across his toned chest as he stretched, mentally forbidding her eyes to linger. "Whatever you like, really."

Klaus pulled his wrist up to his gaze, trying to ignore the double entendres his mind was creating. He pushed back the sleeve of his tee. "I'll be damned; it's two o' clock already?"

Caroline shrugged. "You've been working, the time slips away."

"It appears you've been busy too," the man said, gesturing at the clipboard in Caroline's hands. "What's that you've got there?"

The blonde smiled, handing it over into his outstretched hand. "It's just a list of things that I can't fix around the estate. I thought if you were willing, I could handle hiring a few folks to come out and work."

Klaus's brow furrowed as he looked over the list. "Ah, that driveway is rather unfortunate," he conceded. "But a window washer?"

Caroline directed Klaus's inquisitive eye to the window right behind him with her hand.

After perusing the list for a while longer, Klaus looked up at Caroline appreciatively. "I did a rather good job, hiring you. You're a jack of all trades."

Caroline lowered her head at the apparent compliment. "Thank you," she said with a slight blush. "I just thought that you should turn the estate into something magnificent again."

Smirking at the light rosy tint that had appeared on Caroline's cheeks, Klaus stood up and walked into the kitchen. "I see your game, Ms. Forbes. It's not a magnificent domain now?" He spread his arms wide, gesturing at the walls.

"Oh, no. it's not that. It's just that…" Caroline started, not wanting her boss to get the idea that she was overstepping her duties.

Klaus smirked and held out a hand, effectively cutting her off. "I'm only kidding, love. These are good ideas. Necessary, even. But are you sure you want to be the one handling the employments? Elise is my secretary in town, I'm sure she can do it."

Caroline paused, wondering how she should put her thoughts out. "I think I'd enjoy doing it," the blonde said. "It would be a nice… change of pace."

"Ah…" Klaus said sheepishly. "You've been bored."

"No! Not at all, it's just…" she broke off, unsure of how to explain herself.

"You like people, Caroline. It's perfectly normal for you to want others around the estate." Klaus finished for her. "Of course you're bored. I imagine you've been surrounded by people your whole life?"

Caroline grimaced, he was right.

"Let me guess." Klaus continued. "Cheerleader?" He'd always assumed as much. Caroline was light on her feet, naturally bright.

She nodded her consent. "Captain. Four years in high school."

Klaus leaned over the counter, scrutinizing Caroline. Once again he'd managed to bring a light flush to her face. "You were some kind of high school royalty. Small town, of course."

"That's not fair." Caroline protested. "How can you know all of that?"

Klaus grinned as she confirmed his guesses. "I may not be good at communicating to people, but I can sure as hell read them, love." He leaned over the counter with a smug smirk. Klaus had had quite a few assumptions about Caroline ever since he'd met her, but having them confirmed was nothing short of validation.

"Anyways…" Caroline slurred, changing the subject away from herself. "What about that lunch?"

Niklaus smiled and brought his hands together. "Of course, love. Make whatever you like, I've no preference."

Klaus walked away after calling out that he was going to the library to research his latest account, and Caroline made her way to the pantry. It seemed like Klaus had this endless cycle of work; she felt bad for the man. Caroline had quickly discovered that the library on the first floor of the house doubled as an archive. Klaus was antiquated, he'd told her, and using electronic records made him weary. There were, of course, computer archives, but he preferred to leave those to Elijah and his 'squad of lackeys' in New York.

Caroline grinned as she began to pull ingredients from the fridge. She'd grown accustomed to a few of Klaus's unusual ways and was beginning to see why he'd put '_must be respectful of boundaries_' on the original help wanted ad. He kept odd hours, preferred isolation, and worked incessantly. She'd lucked out as far as live-in jobs went. The estate was gorgeous, and Klaus's substantial funds didn't leave them lacking for much.

Caroline was slicing cheese for the sandwiches she was making when the doorbell rang loudly through the house.

"I'll get it!" Caroline called in Klaus's direction as she walked to the front door, wiping her hands on a towel.

The doorbell rang again, pealing loudly in the foyer, as Caroline had an odd sense of reverse deja-vu. Not a week ago she'd been standing where whoever was on the other side of the door was, ringing repeatedly and waiting for the massive doors to answer.

Caroline finally got to the door and pulled it open, revealing the figure on the outside.

Young, blonde, and stunning, a woman stood on the other side of the door. Her shoulder length hair was pin straight, and as it swung to the side Caroline noticed the black town car leaving the driveway. The young woman's appearance gave to the exuding feeling that she wasn't denied often. Pouty lips and inquisitive eyes dominated her expression.

Three large suitcases were stacked neatly behind her, as if whoever had been driving the car had labored to lug them up the front steps so that the woman wouldn't have to. She wore knee-high boots, dark jeans, and a cream-colored pea coat that looked expensive enough to have Caroline bashfully covering her own discount jeans.

Before Caroline could speak to the young woman however, Klaus came tearing out of the library and on to the porch. He lifted the woman up in his arms, laughing greetings into her ear over her squeals of delight.

The pair spun a few times, as Caroline processed the ease at which Klaus had lifted the other girl. Sure, she couldn't have weighed much; it was possible that Klaus was hiding his strength from the general public.

"I'm so glad you made it!" he boss was saying, grabbing two of the suitcases and heading inside. "I thought you wouldn't be back until tonight!"

Caroline quickly ran out to carry the other suitcase and shut the door behind the three of them.

"Well, I didn't think I would be, but then Damon decided to stay in Aspen with his brother for another day… So I came here!" The blonde girl said quickly.

Klaus ran his hands through his hair. "Why couldn't you have picked the other Salvatore? He's much more agreeable."

The young woman laughed. "I know your opinions, Nik. My judgment stands." She stuck her tongue out at him in response to his sour face. "Niklaus, we're being completely rude." The girl had seemingly just noticed that Caroline had been standing rather awkwardly, trying to make light of the situation.

Klaus slapped himself lightly on the forehead. "You're right. Caroline, I'd love to introduce you to my baby sister."

The girl smiled, holding out a hand for Caroline to shake. "Hi," she started. "I'm Rebekah."

XXX

**A/N I can't thank you all enough. The fact that you're taking the time to read this seriously makes my heart sing (cue Wild Thing). This is the best response I think I've ever gotten to a story, and I'll continue it on!**

**Note: I got a review a while back from sweetydoe who asked which one of the Salvatores Rebekah was dating. Although I think it's more realistic in the TVD world that she'd be dating Stefan, for the intents of this story, she's with Damon. I think that's more interesting, and I'd mentioned in an earlier chapter that Klaus didn't like who Rebekah was with. **


	5. Map of the Problematique

**FIRSTLY, I am so awfully sorry that this update took so so so long. My computer was in the shop for over a month getting its keyboard replaced, so I couldn't write to you or update. SECONDLY, I have no intention of stopping this story; in fact, I see it going quite far. Thank you, thank you to those who are reading this. **

"So tell me, baby sister. How was Aspen?" Klaus made light conversation as he lounged on one of the armchairs in the biggest sitting room.

Rebekah was wandering around the space, touching things here and there, examining the house with a sharp eye. "Oh, you know. It was positively glacial, yet somehow still exciting."

Caroline smirked from where she was mixing drinks for the pair behind the bar that lay in the corner of the room. It, like all of the rest of the fridges in the house, was fully stocked with alcohol.

"Heavy on the vodka for your White Russian, Ms. Mikaelson?" Caroline asked, as soon as Klaus was done putting his two cents in about Aspen and its various excitements.

"Please, my mother is Ms. Mikaelson. Call me Rebekah, seeing as you have no qualms against calling my brother Klaus." The blonde replied smartly, taking a seat on the couch. "And Caroline?"

"Yes Ms. Mik- Rebekah?" Caroline corrected herself.

The younger sibling smirked while Klaus looked on. "Always, always heavy on the vodka."

Caroline finished mixing Rebekah's drink and then poured some Scottish whiskey for Klaus. She came around to the front of the bar, handing them to the pair.

"Now sister," Klaus was saying. "Don't tell me you've developed my atrocious drinking habits." His gaze was one of the slightly joking, morbidly curious elder brother.

The blonde scoffed into her drink. "I'm afraid they're familial, Nik." The girl sighed, sipping from her glass. "Either that or Damon's been rubbing off on me. He drinks almost as much as you do!"

"Fruity cocktails, no doubt." Klaus grumbled into his scotch.

Rebekah shot Klaus a condescending look. "If you must know, the two of you drink, speak, and act almost exactly the same. You're both condescending assholes when you want to be."

"Rebekah!" Klaus protested in disbelief as Caroline tried to squash the smirk that had formed on her face.

"It doesn't mean I don't love you, Nik!" Rebekah acquitted, "It just means that you need to lighten up a bit." The blonde sister rose her glass in a mocking toast. "And speaking of lightening up, what is with you, Caroline?"

Caroline coughed, spitting out the soda water she'd been drinking. "Excuse me?"

Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "I can tell that that's only tonic from here. Pour yourself a drink after you freshen mine; any of the pointless chores Niklaus has assigned you can surely wait 'til morning."

Caroline moved to do as she said, filling Rebekah's glass once again.

"It would hardly be appropriate, Ms…Rebekah." Caroline stuttered. Sure, she wouldn't mind a drink, but what good could it do her if Klaus was angered because of it?"

Rebekah shot an angry glance at her brother, who'd been sipping his whiskey thoughtfully. "See what you've done, Nik? I told you, you're a hard-ass."

Caroline moved to speak; Rebekah had it wrong, Klaus was actually a fantastic boss. Over the days they'd developed a system of working in polite tandem that Caroline had no problems with.

"Really, it's no trouble…." She started.

"No. Sometimes, unfortunately my sister is right." Klaus said, holding up a hand to stop her. "You haven't had any ounce of fun or even peace since you've been here. Pour yourself a drink, Caroline."

Her boss's genuine eyes met hers, and Caroline let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "You're sure?" She didn't want to neglect her work needlessly. Caroline hated people who wasted time.

His lips, _God, they were gorgeous, even from this far, _curved into a soft smirk. "I'm sure."

Breaking from his gaze Caroline turned to fix herself a drink, though the tingling sensation she swore she felt between her shoulder blades that was his gaze lingered for moments longer.

"Come and join us when you're done," Rebekah stated with a smirk. "I'd love to grill the person who's been living with dear Nikky. I'm sure he has such peculiar habits." The younger Mikaelson stuck her tongue out at her brother, who simply rolled his eyes and finished off his drink.

Klaus stood, taking his glass to the bar where Caroline was finishing shaking the martini she was making for herself. Maneuvering in the small space behind the bar, he put his glass in the sink, unthinkingly coming closer to Caroline as he did so.

Klaus realized his folly not an instant later when Caroline stumbled back and the pair collided gently. Klaus brought his hands up underneath her elbows to steady her, trying to ignore the way she'd come to rest against him, her back pressed into multiple spots along his chest.

"I'm so sorry," the blonde muttered embarrassedly. "I didn't know you were right there."

Klaus tutted. "No, the fault is mine, love. I should have warned you, made more noise or something." Klaus tried to keep his voice light and normal, anything but affected. _But gods, Caroline felt good._ She was warm, sweet-smelling, and… blushing? He smirked; glad he wasn't the only one reacting.

He gave her a gentle push, helping the blonde stand back where she had been, and walked back out to where Rebekah was furiously typing a message on her cell.

Caroline lingered behind the bar for a few more moments, only coming out from behind it after a pointed look from Rebekah.

The blonde took one of the barstools to sit on; the two siblings lounged on comfortable sofas. Caroline was hyper-aware of her status with the two Mikaelsons in that moment.

"So Caroline," Rebekah was asking. "What's Nik like to live with? I assume he's a bore, if a whole childhood is anything to go off of."

Caroline hid her giggle in her drink as Klaus rolled his eyes at Rebekah.

"I…uh," the blonde stammered, unsure of how to answer the question.

Rebekah noticed her struggling. "Don't feel bashful because he's sitting right there, Caroline. He's used to it, Elijah and Kol made sure of that."

"Perhaps she doesn't wish to put herself in the uncomfortable position of judging her employer, Bekah." Klaus cut in. "Give the girl some slack."

Caroline nodded in agreement.

"Fine." Rebekah began to sulk. "Let's play another game, then."

Klaus ran a tired hand through his hair. "Rebekah…" Klaus's world-weary gaze caught Caroline's. "When we were younger Bekah was the troublemaker, and the angel. She'd cause sixty sorts of trouble and blame the rest of us for starting them."

"Your poor nanny." Caroline supplied, trying to wrap her head around the thought of a young Rebekah, and more so, a young Klaus.

The sister smirked coyly. "I was the model child, Nik. You can't honestly say that you wouldn't have done the same, given the chance."

As Klaus shook his head, Caroline spoke. "How many siblings do you have?"

"Four too many." Klaus scoffed, the same time as Rebekah supplied "five."

"Five children?" Caroline's eyes widened of their own accords. "That's outrageous! I can't even imagine."

"Only child?" Rebekah asked Caroline.

"Yes," the blonde responded. "And happy to be as such. I can't think of having one more sibling, let alone four."

"Four, and all just as irritating as the rest." Klaus added. "Your childhood must've been so peaceful."

"I guess," Caroline nodded, finishing off her drink. "I really should be heading to bed, early morning and all."

"Ah right. The interviews!" Klaus exclaimed, remembering. "You're putting the ads out first thing tomorrow morning?"

As Caroline nodded, the younger Mikaelson piped in. "What ads?"

"Caroline has a desire to return this monstrous estate to its former glory," Klaus flung his hands out, explaining. "And to do that," he continued, "it'll take a bit more than the effort the two of us can put it. Hence, interviews. "

Rebekah clapped her hands together gleefully. "See, this is the type of thing you need, Niklaus. I'll be damned if I allow you to act as a hermit for the scant remainder of your golden years. Brava, Caroline."

Rebekah narrowly ducked the pillow that Klaus launched at her head, moving out of the way with a laugh.

"I'm not a hermit," he defended himself. "I prefer a quiet life, is that really so hard to fathom?" But now it was too late, and Rebekah had retrieved the first pillow and began an assault of her own.

Caroline set her glass in the sink, not wanting to interrupt the two siblings. She doubted they got much time to bond. She left the room to the pair, shutting the door behind her and walking into the hall, the intoxicating sound of Klaus's laughter permeating her ears.

XXX

**A/N My god, I am so incredibly sorry. This is short, but I needed to get something out to you to ensure the lot of you that I am not dead. I plan to continue this story, and the next chapter will be longer. I have not given it up. If I've lost you in the wait, you have my regret. If I still have you, thank you. **

**xx**


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